Walk In The Sky
by Shalan the Magnificent
Summary: With Howl and Calcifer seemingly in the clear a new darkness rises on the horizon, this time it seems to be focused on Michael. HowlSophie MichaelOC
1. Sunlight

**Title:** Walk In The Sky

**Summary:** With Howl and Calcifer seemingly in the clear a new darkness rises on the horizon, this time it seems to be focused on Michael. HowlSophie MichaelOC

**Shalan's Say:** This just sort of came to me earlier this morning… it should be fun. This could be post movie or book but Michael isn't paired with Marta. It's kind of an… amalgamation XD

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Howl's Moving Castle (movie or book) or anything affiliated.

**Chapter:** Sunlight

&

Feet pounding on the stairs jolted her awake, she shot up in bed as the ruckus that was now pounding against her ear drums dissipated. She looked over at her bedmate, still sound asleep, and frowned. The man could sleep through anything. She swung her legs over and pulled on her boots, brushing her silver hair back from her face as she walked towards the door.

"I have a feeling it's just Michael going to the shops…" a deep, sleep thickened voice said from the bed.

"Well even if it is, it is about time to get up and start the day." She turned to eye him. He poked his head out from under the blankets looking like he'd swallowed something very sour. "Don't give me--" she sighed exasperatedly as a hand was extended from the blankets, beckoning her closer.

"Come here, please…" she fought the urge to run out of the room just to spite him and walked closer, scuttling suspiciously. "Closer, closer—THERE!" He wrapped his arms around her and yanked her right out of her shoes and back into bed.

"HOWL!" She laughed as he immediately curled around her, pulling the blankets over them. "The sun's already up—we have to get up!" She protested as he happily buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"We don't _have_ to do anything!" He hooted cheerfully and closed his eyes as she warmed in his arms. "You were so cold! Just by getting out of bed!"

"It is cold outside of the covers! You just have to get used to it…" she gave up struggling and went limp, somewhat disgruntled. "I have to go to the bathroom Howl." She looked at him over her shoulder. Those bright blue eyes looked back pleadingly. It was a stare down for a moment until his eyes watered and he had to close them. "HA! I win!" She launched herself out of bed and pulled on her slippers… much more acceptable to him as it seemed she was going to come back.

"Come back won't you?" He called after her as she disappeared down the hallway. He pouted when she didn't reply. He supposed he'd have to get up then if she wasn't coming back… he begrudgingly shuffled out of bed, picked up his clothes and walked down the hallway to the bathroom.

"HOWL!" Sophie screamed as he opened the door as she started the bathwater. He beamed happily at her as steam filled the room. "It's a good thing it's steamy in--" she muttered, breaking off when she saw those electric blue eyes watching her. "Go away! You're like a monster hiding in the steam!"

"I am," he snickered, stepping closer.

"Howl!" She protested.

"Oh… fine…" he grumbled, his smile fading as he disappeared out the bathroom door and shut it behind him. She was going to take hours just to spite him now. He frowned. "Why didn't I think about that _before_ I did it?" He rubbed the back of his head, eyeing the bathroom door.

&

Michael panted lightly as he carried the bags full of groceries up the steep hill to where Calcifer had moved the castle this time. He was grumbling lightly to himself as he kicked open the door and walked in. Sophie was making breakfast over a complaining fire, her medium length silver hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"Morning Sophie." He panted as he set the bags down.

"Michael you need to get into shape." Howl said as he trotted down the stairs. A subtle scent followed him and Michael smiled, Sophie had made him get rid of the ridiculous perfumes he had in his arsenal.

"How long was his bath today?" Michael ignored his master and looked over at the woman in the room.

"Only 45 minutes this time, it's getting shorter all the time…" she smiled, setting breakfast on the table.

"We're not going to eat all this Sophie." Howl eyed her. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Michael will." Sophie answered simply. "He's hit another growth spurt and he's eating more and more… don't you remember being a teen?" She eyed him right back.

"It's been a while… then again my parents never fed me much--" he said mournfully and she scoffed, doling out pancakes.

"You hush and quit with your sob stories," Sophie sat down and began to eat.

"I can't believe it. After all we've been through, even though I'm not bound I'm still HERE! And I'm STILL doing all the WORK and you all are STILL EEEAAATTTIIINNNG!!!" Calcifer bellowed from the hearth.

"You're free to go Cal." Sophie looked over at him. "But it's supposed to rain today, mind you." He glared at her for a moment then hunkered down in the logs grumbling insults at them.

"I'm going to visit my niece and nephew today." Howl said through his bacon and eggs, there's a carnival in town and their mother won't take them." He worked his way through his second helping.

"A carnival?" Michael's eyes lit up. "Are you serious?" He blinked at Howl.

"Is it anything like the ones here?" Sophie blinked between them.

"It's a little different, they have these big mechanical things that take you up into the sky and cars that whirl around until you puke!" Michael beamed. "Can I come Howl?"

"Yeah, sure… Sophie are you going to come with us?" She looked up from her plate, brown eyes meeting piercing blue. Suddenly she felt like she was under the Witch's spell again. Her lips wouldn't move, her tongue felt like it was stuck to the top of her mouth. She looked between Michael and Howl, their pleading eyes sparkling with sincerity.

"Oh, alright then." She sighed. "The clothes in your world are silly looking." She frowned at Howl.

"I won't make you do anything silly I promise." Howl snickered.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is going to be utterly a disaster?" Sophie asked Calcifer. The fire demon blinked back, squinting as a beam of sunlight shone in through the window.

&

I know it was short, the first chapter always is for me for some reason.

Read and review please!

Shalan


	2. A Threat

**Chapter:** A Threat

**Shalan's Say:** Howdy! Chapter two coming right up!

&

Sophie trudged out behind Howl and Michael who were nearly off their heads with happiness. "They act like they never get to leave the castle…" she sighed. Mari and Neil were standing in the garden waiting for them when they reached the house, Mari was in Howl's arms before he could even open the gate and Sophie smiled faintly as she watched him with his sister's children.

"AUNT SOPHIE!" Mari ran for her too after struggling from her uncle's arms and jumped into Sophie's.

"Mari!" She laughed, scooping the girl up and whirling her around before hoisting the girl onto her hip. Howl was watching them, his eyes soft and curious as he contemplated the two girls. Mari was giggling madly as Sophie whispered in her ear. Both girls looked over at him and smiled. Howl pointed at himself, blinking curiously and they both giggled.

"Girls are weird." Neil frowned, standing next to Michael and Howl. Sophie put Mari down and walked over to them.

"Ready to go?" Howl was immediately answered as Michael, Mari and Neil took off down the road. "Don't run too far ahead!" Howl called to them and wrapped an arm around Sophie's waist with a smile. She eyed him before smiling faintly, leaning against him as they walked.

"These clothes are silly." She plucked at the pretty blue sundress she wore. He chuckled.

"I created that especially for you, why can't you just say "thank you Howl" and be done with it?" He blinked as she kissed his cheek.

"Thank you Howl." She giggled as he flushed pink.

"That was just too cute… even for me…" he looked over at her as she laughed.

"You look like your life is crumbling around you…"

"They're getting away." He said blandly as the children disappeared around the bend.

"NEIL! MARI! MICHAEL!" Sophie took off after them, holding on to her hat as she sprinted to keep up. She could hear Howl roaring with laughed behind her.

&

Sophie was about wore out by the time it was getting dark in Wales. She stood beneath a large tent sipping tea from a plastic cup as she watched a number of men in tights dancing around the stage before her. She giggled as one of them fell over.

"Are you alright?" A pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and she smiled softly, leaning against him in the cool evening air. He was warm and hard and soft all at the same time.

"Yes, where are the other three?" She looked up at him. His blue eyes looked back.

"Playing around, I'm not entirely sure, but I made sure they couldn't leave the fairgrounds." Her eyes drooped closed as he spoke, she leaned her head back against his shoulder. "You're exhausted aren't you?" He rested his chin on her shoulder, feeling the pulse in her neck skip as he brushed his lips to her jugular.

"UNCLE HOWELL!" Howl straightened up as Mari called his name. "UNCLE HOWELL! HURRY!" He released Sophie and walked off, letting his fingers catch her hand and pull her with him.

"What is it, Mari?" He walked up next to the other two. Michael was gaping open mouthed with the growing group of people as flames shot into the air from somewhere up the road.

"THE CASTLE!" Sophie gasped and Howl's eyes widened, not being connected to Calcifer had its downfalls. "HOWL!" He scooped her up under one arm and snatched Mari under the other and took off, Michael and Neil in tow.

It was several pained minutes before Howl wrenched open the door to the burning house and soared into the castle with Sophie still in his arms. Michael immediately started throwing water on the fires as Calcifer screamed at them about not helping him.

Howl jerked off his jacket and hurriedly rolled up his sleeves and whipped his hands up, summoning water from the taps and sent it spraying over the entire inside of the castle as Sophie threw herself and a bucket over Calcifer to keep him from getting wet.

Michael panted, now soaking wet and singed as he sat down in a chair, which immediately collapsed beneath him as the legs had been burned by the fire. Sophie panted, sitting back from the hearth and taking the bucket off the fire demon. Calcifer was smaller than normal but was otherwise unharmed.

"What on earth?" Sophie looked over at them. Flame had licked at Howl as he put the fire out leaving scorched skin on his cheek and forearms.

"I have yet to f--" he blinked as a scroll fluttered down from nowhere. He opened his hands to catch it but the instant it touched his hand it burst into flames and fell to the floor, scrawling a message across the floor. Sophie's eyes narrowed. "Interesting."

"Well?" Michael was on his feet again, walking over next to his master. "Master Howl?"

"Not nearly as eloquent as the Witch of the Waste but I think they're for you Michael." He snickered. "A boy with hair the color of fire lives with you. I shall expect him delivered to me in a month or everything you hold dear will go up in the flames of your demon." He tilted his head. "Well I can't very well deliver you if I don't have a return address." He chuckled and used his foot to erase the marks.

"What on earth does that mean?" Michael tilted his head.

"I don't know…" Howl didn't seem at all upset.

"What are you going to do?" Calcifer watched as Howl scooped up Sophie and walked up the stairs.

"I'm going to bed, good night Cal, we're going to move tomorrow." He grinned and disappeared up the stairs, a protesting Sophie in his arms.

"I wonder… if he's even managed to talk her out of her nightgown?" Michael looked over at Calcifer.

"I doubt it, she's pretty hard headed." Calcifer snickered.

"Why are we even talking about this? My life might be in danger." He was nearly green as he hung his head. "I don't want to die."

&

Hallo! Not much to say, this early stuff is so boring for me, but setting the castle on fire was fun!!

Shalan


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